Panoramic overview of lakes and dunes near Valentine, Nebraska. Small blow-out dunes cover larger transverse dunes, and lakes occupy the troughs between large dunes. Assembled from two wide-angle shots.

The NSH has been described as resembling a vast sea with gigantic waves frozen in place and is comparable to other great sand seas in Africa, Arabia, Asia, and Australia. The region remains sparsely populated. Cattle ranching and hay production are the primary land uses based on lush prairie grass and abundant surface water and shallow ground water. In spite of its austere nature, the NSH has become a destination for ecotourism including hunting, fishing, and bird watching.

Sand dunes are well-organized into distinct patterns that reflect prevailing wind and sand supply. In general, large dunes occupy the central and northern portions. Lesser dunes are common toward the south and east, and small blow-out dunes are found throughout and around the margins of the sand hills. The dunes are relatively young landscape features and have been active during the past several millennia, most importantly some 8000 to 5000 years ago, again from about 3000 to 1500 years ago, and most recently ca. AD 900-1300 during the Medieval climatic optimum (Swinehart 1990; Schmeisser McKean et al. 2015).

Lakeside vicinity, Sheridan County, western sand hills region. Left: lakes occupy troughs between large dunes with sparse grass cover. Right: close-up shot of lake nearly filled with emergent vegetation and large dunes in the background.

Lakeside vicinity. Left: maroon and gold colors in the lake are results of micro-organisms that thrive in hypersaline water (see title image). Right: lake in foreground has algae and sediment that color the water shades of green.

Overviews of Smith Lake State Wildlife Management Area looking toward the west (left) and north (right) with kite flyers on right side. Sheridan County, western sand hills region. This fresh-water lake is popular for fishing and camping.

Left: Smith Lake is fed by Pine Creek that drains through a broad valley with numerous lakes. View toward southeast. Right: line of cedar (juniper) trees meandering across small blow-out dunes south of Smith Lake. Trees were planted presumably to form a windbreak.

Steverson Lake overview (left) and close-up shot of inlet creek and delta (right). Part of the Cottonwood-Steverson State Wildlife Management Area, western Cherry County, north-central sand hills region.

Overviews of Dewey Lake toward the west (left) and southeast (right). One of several fresh-water lakes that occupy troughs between large dunes. Near Valentine, Cherry County, north-central sand hills region.

Large toadstool block of sandstone supported by a narrow pillar of mudstone as it appeared in 1978. The same block, broken and partly collapsed in 2015. Mudstone is worn away by rain and wind, and freezing breaks up sandstone.

The WRB is famous for yielding many vertebrate fossils, especially mammals, as well as fresh-water fish, amphibian, reptile and bird species. These fossils were preserved in strata laid down by streams draining away from the Rocky Mountains during the late Eocene and early Oligocene epochs, approximately 40-30 million years ago (Stoffer 2003; GSA Timescale 2012). However, collecting vertebrate fossils is prohibited in the Oglala National Grassland which includes Toadstool Geologic Park. A small campground area allows easy access to the park.

Nearly whole skull of a fossil oreodont exposed in mudstone of the Chadron Formation. Oreodonts were herbivores similar to modern sheep and goats that populated the lush prairie wetlands. Pocket watch is about 2 inches (~5 cm) in diameter.

Escarpment formed by sandstone in the Brule Formation. Overview (left) with the Pine Ridge in the far left background. Close-up shot (right) reveals intricate patterns of gully erosion on steep slopes of the escarpment. Sandstone of the Brule Formation is more resistant to erosion compared with mudstone of the Chadron Formation.

Close-up shots show erosional details in the Chadron Formation (left) and a cluster of large, collapsed toadstools (right). Note people on the gravel path in both of these views.

Left: small campground and picnic area with kite flyers on right side. Right: international ESU students from China, Yuanyuan Zhou (left) and Zhilin Li, test the Canon S70 autoKAP rig prior to flight. Note leather gloves to handle kite line.